Comedian and podcaster Adam Conover of Adam Ruins Everything, Factually, and so much else, is here to help ruin the Paramount merger, literally!<br><br>Today on the show, we break down the breakdown in the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, as the state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America West lawsuits have led to a pause until next year. We cover the events leading up to this turn, then get Adam&#x27;s take on the situation.<br><br>Adam is especially well-suited to comment on the merger, both as a creator and as a board member of the WGAW, where he ran on an anti-consolidation platform. They discuss how the merger will result in fewer buyers, fewer platforms, and fewer opportunities in general. In this surprisingly optimistic Organized Money episode, we also get into the groundswell of anti-monopoly energy that is appearing in Hollywood and the entertainment industry, and how to channel that energy through organization.

The Roll-Up of All Media Is No Longer Inevitable (with Adam Conover)

Organized Money

So, on Wall Street, people say, it doesn't matter what the merger is, they're always like, oh, this merger is definitely going through. Of course we're going to win. Takeovers and acquisitions. They're going to be an extraordinary force for the Bulls in 2026.

But, you know, we are starting to see in one case that is changing, and that is the Paramount-Warner merger, which was going to roll up Hollywood in a big chunk of the media. For a long time, everyone in Hollywood and in Wall Street has been saying, of course, this is going through. I mean, obviously, there's no way to stop it. Trump wants to go through.

But I am hearing now, for the first time, real doubts that the merger will go through, and that is because of a bunch of legal changes that have happened in the last couple of weeks. Yes, and it's about, you know, sort of the, I think in some part, about the organizing that was done in advance of that. So, you know, we've talked about the Paramount-Warner merger a lot on the show.

So, just to bring everyone up to date, a couple weeks ago, 12 state attorneys general filed suit to block the merger. In a statement, California's attorney general calling the merger unlawful, saying that it would lead to higher prices and lower quality for film and television. Paramount and Warner are both really big producers of movies and TV shows. That's how they make money, and they both have big streaming services, and they want it to merge, right?

The Roll-Up of All Media Is No Longer Inevitable (with Adam Conover)

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

The Roll-Up of All Media Is No Longer Inevitable (with Adam Conover)

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.